1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a Vortex burner, and more particularly to a large capacity petrochemical gas furnace burner.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Vortex burners are utilized in industrial type furnaces. A Vortex burner is typically a nozzle-mix burner which utilizes the tangential energy of the fuel gas, assisted by furnace draft, to entrain combustion air, mix the combustion air with the gas, and inject the burning mixture onto a radiant cup portion of the burner and along the furnace wall.
Several Vortex burner designs are known in the prior art. Although the prior art generally discloses means for mixing gas, primary air and secondary air at the nozzle tip location, the prior art certainly does not suggest the novel combination of the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. to Furczyk 2,561,793 is an earlier forced air nozzle mix burner developed for the Steel Industry. This arrangement disclosed by Furczyk clearly produces a different mixing effect than is achieved in the present invention.
The tangential feature in U.S. Pat. No. to Hess et al, 2,561,795 is used solely for the efficient atomization of liquid fuel and hence, pertains to a different field of art than the present gaseous fuel burner invention.
U.S. Pat. Nos. to Hess 2,339,477 and to Blaha 2,762,428 disclose a rippled cup surface to enhance flame stability and radiant heat transfer. However, except for that particular feature, these patents fail to suggest any of the other novel elements claimed in the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. to Brown 1,754,603 discloses a central tube surrounded by an annular space, wherein secondary air is transported through the central tube while gas and primary air are transported through the outwardly disposed annular space. This design is opposite to the present invention. Although Brown does disclose a secondary air flow deflector, this arrangement does not perform the novel dual functions of the deflector in the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. to Morck 3,692,460 teaches the use of a centrally disposed fuel gas supply tube around which combustion air flows in an annular space. Furthermore, this patent teaches the use of tangentially discharged gas jets in order to entrain the combustion air, mix it with the fuel gas and direct the mixture onto the cup and along the furnace wall.